Best of 2 worlds? Does anyone know anything about this camera?

[Krosya]

I came across this camera:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Alpa-Reflex-cam...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Seems so cool semi RF/SLR thingy - I really consider buying it - anyone knows much about it? Is it worth the money?

 

[xayraa33]

expensive swiss made slrs.

http://www.alpareflex.com/

 

[DeeCee3]

I'm not at all familiar with that particular Alpa but, as a "breed", they are superb cameras. Years ago I was a part-time sales clerk in a camera shop which sold Alpas. One of of our customers was a renowned ornithologist who traveled to Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands and other remote locations on photography expeditions. He insisted on taking his Alpas with him when he HAD to bring back slides for publication. He said he found them more reliable and rugged when the chips were down than his other cameras which were Leicas. That's a pretty good endorsement of the brand, I think.

 

[thirteen]

Here;s the camera
http://www.alpareflex.com/Cameras/AlpaReflexOriginal.htm
I bought from this seller once. She tends to ask for higher than usual prices and over exaggerates the condition of the items. She tried to sell me a fake Leica Elmar. Be wary.

 

[erikhaugsby]

That lens is in terrible condition: look at all the spots and coating (cemeting?) issues around the perimeter!

I've never been a fan of this Hollywood (Famous Camera Source!) seller, and this is just one more reason why.
The same seller also tried to pass a green Fed as a wartime Leica, and a tan Kiev as a tropical Contax. Discussions on both these auctions are cached somewhere in the RFF archives.

 

[xayraa33]

you forgot to replace the o by @ and the s by $, when you wrote about that seller. 🙂

 

[tedwhite]

Well, I'll be horn-swaggled! Never could have imagined a combination rangefinder/reflex camera. My question is: why?

FWIW, I would not buy a box of matches from this seller.

Ted

 

[Krosya]

Thanks for your input. I like the camera, but I think I'll hold off for now, but maybe if I find one somewhere else.....

 

[schaubild]

"Well, I'll be horn-swaggled! Never could have imagined a combination rangefinder/reflex camera. My question is: why?"

When these cameras came out, the market was dominated by rangefinders. But as with all these constructions, macro work was not possible.
Alpa used this viewfinder/focusing combination to position themselves (and with the superior build quality, of course). The rangefinder for "usual" work, the mirror finder for macro. This is also the reason why the cameras up to model 3 (4?) had the vertical finders, quite convenient when the camera is pointed downwards. Later on the Kern built 45 degree viewfinder was introduced, which allowed easier macro focusing when working freehand (for flowers etcetc.)

Add on: the famous Kern Macro Switar was also used in this context, and f1.8 was (and is) quite uncommon for macro lenses, made the construction very expensive.
The later camera series wear "Alpa Alnea" badges, Alnea stands for "all near". Got it?

 

[tedwhite]

Schaubild:

Thanks for the lucid explanation.

Ted

 

[Vince Lupo]

Somewhat marginally related, but I just got an Alpa 6c (from about 1960, and an SLR) with a Kilfitt Makro Kilar 40mm f/2.8 E. I had heard people waxing philosophically about Alpa's and how they're just a dream to handle, made by a company that manufactures watches, etc etc, and I have to say that I'm not overly impressed (mind you, I just got it and have yet to run a roll of film through it). The handling is really odd, and doesn't come as intuitively as say, a Contarex Bullseye (a camera from around the same period as this Alpa). Have to say that it feels like something Russian from the 1950's. We'll see, I could change my tune....

 

[proenca]

Nice piece of informative posts 🙂 See ? I learned something today while haivng breakfast 🙂

 

[ErnestoJL]

The Alpas were a breed by themselves as they were designed with some strange features like having an RF as well as a waist level reflex finder.
A nice feature to help put the Alpas together with Exaktas (as strange cameras) was the unusual arrangement of the cocking lever which travelled in the reverse direction, it is like old Leicas and Contaxes. Also the shutter speed dial had unusual placement in several models. Another unusual feature was that in some models the RF was arranged vertically instead of horizontal as any other RF camera of the same era.
The company who made them was Pignons S.A. in Switzerland and the cameras were assembled by hand, one by one. The production rates were very low as high were the prices. Pignons was a maker of metal pieces for the swiss watch industry and made also special tooling for the same.
IMO, the ALPAs were exquisite hand made cameras and finished as jewels but they had the biggest flaw that there weren´t two identically adjusted and made cameras, and also being mechanically extremely complex.

I had one in my hands in 1970 (it was a 10d). The camera was extremely heavy, felt solid as a rock and worked wonderfull, but the price was frightening... it´s price was three times a Leicaflex SL asking price.

Later ALPAs (after the 11 EL) were made in Japan.

Cheers, and Merry Xmas

Ernesto